Fuel feeding device



April 12, 1932.

D.A.GAUTHER FUEL FEEDING DEVICE Filed Deo.

Patented Apr. 12, 1932 PATENT oFFlc'E DoNA'r A. GAUTHiER. oF DETROIT,MICHIGAN FUEL FEEDING DEVICE Application 1ed December 11, 1930. SerialNo. 501,744.

The invention relates to fuel feeding devices, and more particularly toa device for accurately metering a given quantity of fuel to an enginefor test purposes.

One object of the invention is to provide a device which may beconnected in the fuel supply line of a motor vehicle without interferingwith the normal operation thereof, and yet permit of interrupting theregular supply and measuring a definite quantity of fuel as it is fed toan internal combustion engine, and thereby determine the distance thevehicle traverses for a given amount of fuel.

Another object is to provide a device of simple and durable constructionwhich mayV bereadily attached toa vehicle for test purposes, and usedfor measuring any desired number of times without interfering with theoperation of the vehicle or the device.

Other advantages and objects will appear from the following descriptionof the invention. which consists of the construction and combination ofparts as hereinafter more fully described with reference to theaccompanying drawings and set forth in the appended claims.`

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side eleva-tion view of the invention partly broken away.U

Figure 3 Ais a diagrammatic view onV a` reduced scale showing theinvention applied to a motor vehicle fuel supply mechanism.

, Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals of referenceindicate corresponding parts, the numeral 10 indicates a cylindricalcasing preferably formed of sheet metal and fastened by screws 11 to`the peripheral flanges l2 and 13 around a top plate 14 and a bottomplate 15 respectively.

openings in the front and opposite sidesv of the casing.

The top plate 14 also has the laterally extending raised portion 22 onits upper side provided with the inlet passage 23 and relief passages24, 241. Both the inlet and relief passages extend along the raisedportion 22 of the top, and then downward into the space within theflange 16 of the top plate 14, the inlet being extended to form a spout280 within the center of the space formed by the flange 16, while therelief passage where it extends downward is provided with a valve screw26.

The valve screw 26 is threaded and screwed downward into acorrespondingly threaded boss 27 on the top plate 14, and has the head28 which when screwed down closes the passage 241, and when screwed upopens the p-assage but meets the pin 29 which prevents complete removalof the valve.

The raised portion 22,0f the top plate 14 extends beyond the cylindricalcasing 10,and has the downward projection 30 forming a hook which may behung on to the glass 31 of an automobile door, and also provides anorilice 25 through which thestrap 32 is passed.

The inlet passage 23 has the pipe 33 fitted into the under side of thetop just outside the 'casing l0 and extendeddownwardly through theopening 34in the bottom plate 15.

To support the device against the glass of an automobile door as shownin Figure l, a pair of concave rubber suction discs 35 are fastened tothe lugs 36A on the bottom plate 15, and hold the device very firmly toposition against the glass.

When using the fuel feeding deviceit is preferably hung on the glass ofan automobile door, or it may be otherwise supported or held, ,and theinlet pipe 33 is connected by a rubber tube 37 with a pumping mechanismsuch as a rubber bulb 40 fitted with oneway valves 41 and 42 and acontinuing rubber tube 38 suitably connected with the reguis connectedto the uncoupled supply pipe, so that the gasoline will fioW to thecarburetor 45 of the engine 46.

It Will be understood that the relief valve 26 is open While thegasoline is being pumped by the bulb 40 to fill the testing device Whichhas been interposed inthe regular fuel supply line, and When the same iscompletely filled, the relief valve Which has permitted air to escape upto this point is now, closed, and thus the system is sealed. x v' Underthis condition fuel will flow in the regular manner from the fuel supplytank to the engine Whether induced by a pump or vacuum tank, as Wellunderstood in the art, and vvhen it is desired to test the fuelconsumption of the engine the position of the vehicle is noted as by aland mark or odometer reading, and the relief valve is opened.

This immediately breaks the seal on the regular flow of fuel to theengine, and the known quantity in the burette, starting With a topgraduation mark 47, is gradually fed to the engine until a lowermeasuring graduation mark, such as indicated at 48, is reached, at whichtime the location of the vehicle may be noted by land mark or odometeras hereinbefore mentioned. and the resultant distance traverseddetermined, from which the miles per gallon of fuel traversed by thevehicle may be calculated, as the burette holds a given quantity offuel, such as one-tenth of a gallon.

This is particularly helpful in determining ,the efliciency or capacityof a given engine for a given vehicle Without unduly disturbing theregular fuel supply, and a second test may be quickly made by pumping afresh supply of fuel to the burette by means of the hand pump, and thenclosing the relief valve to operate the engine regularly until a secondtestis started.

The fuel feeding device as hereinbefore eX- plained is particularlyconvenient for testing fuel consumption of m'otor vehicles, as theregular fuel supply may be kept constant or measured at Will, and acorrect reading and' measuring of the amount of fuel consumed is readilymade by an observer.

It should be noted that the vent 24 leads to an outlet outside the bodyof the vehicle when the device is supported on the door glass, and alsothat While the-burette may be observed from either side or front, it isprotected from breakage by the enclosing casing, and further isprotected from breakage by jar by the rubber connections, both topand-bottom, which securely hold the same in position and yet cushion itfrom shock.

The strap 32 not only forms a pad for the hooked end 30 of the top plate14, but is useful to hold the rubber tubing associated With the deviceWhen not in use as shown in Figure 2.

Withal, the device forms a most compact and simple apparatus foraccurate engineering test purposes, which heretofore have requiredcomparatively elaborate and bothersome paraphernalia.

The normal flow of fuel may also be ob- ,served when running with thevent closed,

as the fuel flowing to the burette will fall from the spout 280 clear ofthe side Walls, and clearly show any variation in flow.

The testing device as shown and described comprises a minimum number ofparts arranged compactly and is readily portable, yet

'meets all requirements of cumbersome and fragile laboratory apparatusfor testing purposes.

While I have shownthe preferred construction of the invention, it mustbe understood `that modifications may be made in the detailedarrangement and construction of parts Without departing from the spiritof the invention as set forth in the; accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A fuel feeding device comprising a proteetivev casing ofsubstantially cylindrical form and having a top plate and a bottom plateand observation holes in the side Wall, said plates having flangedopenings and said top plate having a spout extending downwardly from thecenter of its flanged opening and a lateral inlet passage leading to oneside of the plate, a second passage leading to one side of the plate anda vent opening into said second passage, a manually operable valve insaid vent, means for connecting the inlet pas-v sage of the top plateand the opening of the bottom plate with a fuel supply line and aburette resiliently supported between the ianged openings of saidplates.

2. A fuel feeding device comprising in combination a protective casinghaving top and bottom openings, closures for said openings having meansadapted to receive rubber couplings, a glass burette having reducedends, rubber couplings resiliently supporting said burette from saidclosures vertically in said casing, a syringe bulb, a conduit connectingsaid bulb with the top of the burette, and a conduit connected to thebottom of the burette.

3. A fuel feeding device comprising in combination a protective casinghaving top and bottom openings, closures for said openings having meansadapted to receive rubber couplings, a glass burette having reducedends, rubber couplings resiliently supporting said burette from saidclosures vertically in said casing, a syringe bulb, a conduit connectingsaid bulb with the top of the burette, a conduit connected to the bottomof the burette, and a closable vent means leading from the top of saidburette.

In testimony whereof I affix my si gnature.

DONAT A. GAUTHIER.

